Protective pad



Dec. 16, 1947. M. w. CLARKE PROTECTIVE PAD Filed Feb. 28, 1944 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROTECTIVE PAD Maurice Clarke, Detroit, Mich. Application February 28, 1944, Serial No. 524,283

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of surgery and pertains particularly to improvements in protective pads.

The invention has for its principal object to provide an improved protective pad, designed for the shielding of corns, bunions, calluses, or other conditions of the skins where an excrescence is formed, which is adapted to be shaped to fit, and provide the maximum guarding or shielding action for, such excrescence.

Another object of the invention is to provide a corn, callus or bunion pad which is readily adjustable to best adapt it to the excrescence which it is designed to guard or protect.

The invention broadly contemplates the provision of a relatively long strip of felt material of the character commonly used for corn and bunion shields, which is cut obliquely at one end and is skived r beveled along a longitudinal edge, the strip being transversely slit from such longitudinal edge through approximately two-thirds its Width so that the strip may be readily shaped or formed into a circle, an oval or any other form to best fit it in a shielding position about a corn, callus or bunion. The surface of the strip opposite from the beveled or skived side is provided with an adhesive of the usual character employed upon corn and bunion pads or an adhesive of the type employed upon adhesive tape, whereby the pad or strip may be readily secured in position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawins, wherein- Figure 1 is a View in plan of a shield strip constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the application of the strip around an excrescence such as a corn or the like.

Figure 3 is a section taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 illustrates an adhesive pad for use in association with the elongated pad or strip.

Figure 5 illustrates several methods of applying the adhesive strips or pads.

Figure 6 illustrates a manner in which the strip pad and the oval pad may be mounted upon a piece of cloth such as gauze or the like for sale.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the invention in its preferred embodiment as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, comprises a strip of felt I0 which may be of any desired length and of any suitable thickness, depending upon the specific use to which it is to be put. For example, and merely as an illustration without the intention of in any way limiting the invention, if the pad is to be used for the protectionoi corns it might be approximately 5% of an inch thick, about A; of an inch 'wide and not less than 1 /2 inches long. If it is 'to'be used for bunions it would be longer, thicker and wider and for calluses the length, thickness and width would be still greater. It is, of course, understood that the exact thickness would be determined by the specific use to which the pad is to be put.

In carrying out the invention the felt strip or pad is cut obliquely at one end as indicated at I I, the angle of out being here shown as approximately 45. However this angle may be changed as desired.

Upon one side the strip is beveled or skived along one longitudinal edge as indicated at I2. The skived or beveled edge is the longer edge and from this longer and beveled edge the strip is out transversely through approximately two-thirds its width, at equidistantly spaced points as indicated at I3. The cuts or slits I3 are carried slightly beyond the inner side of the bevel I2 as shown.

In practice it is contemplated to provide with the felt pad or strip, a cover pad I4 which may be oval as shown or circular, if desired, and the felt strip and cover pad may be mounted upon a carrier body in the form of a piece of gauze I5, the pad being secured to the gauze by the usual adhesive coating I6 which is employed to secure the pads to the skin.

Figure 2 illustrates the manner in which the strip pad is applied around any excrescence upon the surface of the body which it is desired to protect against rubbing, such excrescence being conventionally illustrated and designated II. In applying the pad the angularly cut end is attached close to the corn or other excrescence I! but not touching the same, with the beveled and slit or serrated edge outward. The pad is then bent around and pressed down as shown, until it adheres to the skin close to but not touching the excrescence I'I. Any excess length may be cut oil whereupon the end of the pad is stuck to the skin. The end edges of the pad may be brought together or not as may be found most suitable.

In Figure 5 there is shown the outline of a foot which is generally designated l8. Upon this are shown several of the pads, the one upon the second toe being for a corn while the one upon the left side of the foot is in position to protect a bunion. Dotted outline represents the application of a callus pad to the bottom of the foot.

If desired a medicated ointment or other medication may be applied to the corn or callus and 3 covered by the oval cover pad M. The pad may then be bound in place by adhesive. If no medication is applied then the adhesive on the pad itself will be employed to maintain the pad in position in the center of the applied strip pad.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there has been provided a novel surgical pad which is easily and quickly adapted to a particular form of excrescence or other deformation of the body to provide desired protection against rubbing from a shoe or from a piece of clothing. The pad construction is simple therefore may be economically produced and sold.

I claim:

1. A protective pad designed for application to a portion of the body, comprising a relatively long straight strip of material, skived along one longitudinal edge through less than the width of the strip and having a plurality of spaced slits extending transversely through a portion of its width from the said longitudinal edge.

2. A pad of the character stated in claim 1, in which the slits extend across the body of the pad from the said edge beyond the skived portion of the pad.

3. A protective pad comprising a relatively long straight flat strip of felt material cut obliquely across one end and having along and a short longitudinal edge, the body being skived on one side along the long longitudinal edge, and having a plurality of transversely extending slits extending from said long longitudinal edge and toward the opposite edge and beyond the skived portion.

MAURICE W. CLARKE.

Great Britain Dec. 11, 1930 

